


An Agreement Between Gentlemen

by professor



Series: Strictly Business [1]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Banter, Bargaining, Inspired by Harlequin, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 07:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professor/pseuds/professor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik Lehnsherr, King of Genosha, has arranged a meeting with Charles Xavier, CEO of Xavier BioCorp, to ask for his assistance in a delicate matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Agreement Between Gentlemen

“I confess I’m not sure why I’m here,” ventures Xavier as he takes a sip of his wine. “Although, I’m always pleased to eat so well on someone else’s expense account.”

Erik resists the urge to snort. They both know that Xavier, as CEO of Xavier BioCorp, can well afford to pay his own way. Still, it’s the sort of droll wit that had made Erik … select Xavier for this in the first place.

Erik thinks about the information he’s acquired on Xavier one more time, as he sips his sparkling water. Charles Xavier, age 30, telepath. Highly intelligent, if his three doctorates are any indication. No known history of chronic illness or genetic disorders. And highly attractive, according to the media, and more importantly, Erik’s own biased opinion. 

Erik decides to simply cut to the chase -- Xavier, by all accounts, values honesty, and Erik finds it bothersome enough to play games in the political arena. He’d rather not do so for this.

“A fair question, Dr. Xavier,” Erik says. “I’m hoping to secure your help in the matter of the Genoshan succession. I have no heir at the moment, and my advisors are pressing me to provide one. I can barely leave my rooms without some idiot presenting me with information on what they call ‘suitable matrimonial candidates.’ Frankly it’s getting tiresome, and I’m on the verge of doing something drastic and violent.”

Xavier suppresses a grin, but not fast enough. Erik’s lips quirk in return. It is rather funny, if you don’t have to live with it.

“I have a solution in mind,” Erik continues, “but it’s rather .. untraditional, if you take my meaning.”

Xavier frowns faintly. “I believe I see.”

“Do you?” asks Erik. He’s honestly curious to see how quickly Xavier will put the pieces together. 

“Yes,” says Xavier, as he takes a sip of wine. “And I’m afraid I must disappoint you. Despite the rumors, Xavier BioCorp is still at least a decade away from viable human -- well, mutant, in your case -- cloning.”

Erik suppresses a smile. A good guess on Xavier’s part, but wrong. Erik savors this moment -- he suspects Xavier isn’t wrong very often.

“Close, but not what I’m after,” says Erik. He interweaves his fingers and looks across them into Xavier’s blue eyes. “Are you aware I’m one of the -- what is it, five percent? -- of male mutants with the secondary mutation that grants me the ability to bear children?”

Xavier’s widening eyes seem to indicate that no, he did not know. 

“Dr. Xavier,” says Erik decisively, “let me be brief. My advisors were the ones to bring it up, but after thinking about it, I’ve decided I do want children. But there’s no one I want to marry at right now. Or possibly ever. So instead, I just want to find a suitable donor and be a single parent. It’s not like the child’s parentage will be in question. And I’d like you to be that donor.”

Xavier chokes on his wine. 

*****

After Xavier stops coughing, he blurts out, “You can’t be serious.”

“And why not?” asks Erik.

“Well for one, I’m pretty sure you hate me. Or at least my company and my politics,” says Charles.

“Again, I’m not _marrying_ you, so I don’t know that it’s relevant that I disagree with your politics.” Erik rolls his eyes.

“You called me ‘a traitor to all mutantkind’ in one of your speeches,” says Charles. “And you accused my company of locking up mutants to experiment on them.”

“That was years ago.”

“It was _two_ years ago. Two. That barely qualifies as plural.”

“You keep insisting that people can change in _your_ speeches, Xavier. Are you insinuating that _I_ can’t change?” Erik is proud of that particular point. See Xavier argue with his own words. Ha.

“I’m not saying you couldn’t change if you wanted to. I’m saying I don’t believe you have a reason to _want_ to change.” Xavier sits back in his seat, and raises an eyebrow, as if to say, _Well?_

“So is that a ‘no’, then?” Erik asks, not at all in an attempt to derail Xavier’s argument.

“It’s a, ‘persuade me’,” says Xavier, radiating smugness as he leans back and folds his hands behind his head.

Persuade him. Okay, all right, Erik can do this.

“You’re a geneticist, Xavier,” says Erik. “Aren’t you the least bit curious as to what would happen if we combined our genes?”

“I hope you’re not implying I would treat a child like an _experiment_ ,” says Xavier, drawing himself up, offended.

Erik has no idea how he managed to screw this up so quickly, but -- “I’m sorry. That wasn’t at all what I meant. I -- no, actually, screw that line of … everything. What do _you_ want, Xavier?”

“ _Excuse_ me?” asks Xavier, coy, as if the bastard doesn’t know.

“What do you want from _me_ , in exchange for fathering my child?” asks Erik. “I won’t offer money, that seems crass. And I’m making this offer as a private individual, so don’t go expecting political favors from the Genoshan government. But other than that ...”

Erik trails off, letting Xavier fill in the blanks.

Xavier tilts his head, considering. “Hmmm. Now that _is_ an attractive offer, your Majesty, even considering the stipulations you’ve put on it.” Xavier strokes his chin, thoughtfully, staring off into space and no doubt thinking of all the ways he could inconvenience Erik by accepting his offer.

Xavier ponders for so long that Erik is tempted to snap at him to get on with it, but he manages to restrain himself.

*****

“I’ve decided,” says Xavier.

“Yes?” asks Erik, striving to keep the annoyance out of his tone.

“I’ll father your child,” says Xavier, “on one condition.”

“Which is?” Erik wants to throttle him for drawing this out.

“That you bear mine,” says Xavier with a smirk.

“What?” Erik’s not sure he heard correctly. “What?”

“Oh, not immediately or anything,” says Xavier airily. “I was thinking sometime in the next three to five years. Is that acceptable?”

“What?”

*****

Once Erik gets over his surprise, he agrees. They argue terms, and nail out an agreement over the next few hours. They’ll draw up contracts of course -- extremely detailed ones, if Erik has anything to say about it -- but that will come later.

For the moment, they shake on it.


End file.
